May 19-22: US PGA golf tournament in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
May 22 to June 5: French Open tennis tournament in Paris, France.
May 28: Uefa Champions League soccer tournament final in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
June:
June 16-19: US Open golf tournament in Massachusetts.
June 27 to July 10: Wimbledon tennis tournament in London, England.
July:
July: Former eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede’s corruption trial tentatively set for July. Gumede and her 21 co-accused appeared on charges of fraud, corruption, money laundering and racketeering linked to a Durban Solid Waste management tender worth more than R430m.
2022: Here are the big events we can expect
Image: REUTERS/MIKE HUTCHINGS
The year 2021 brought with it the continuation of Covid-19 restrictions and the spread of new variants. Former president Jacob Zuma hogged the headlines after he was arrested, leading to a six-day looting spree in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng which threatened to bring the country to a standstill. The year ended on a sad note when Anglican archbishop, theologian and human rights activist Desmond Tutu died after Christmas at the age of 90.
Here’s a look at what we can expect in the new year:
2022
January:
January 4: A 49-year-old man arrested in connection with the fire that caused extensive damage to the parliament precinct in Cape Town is due to make his first appearance in court.
January 8: The ANC’s annual birthday celebrations.
January 9: The Africa Cup of Nations soccer tournament hosted in Cameroon.
January 17: Trial date for the four police officers accused of murdering Mthokozisi Ntumba during a student protest in Braamfontein, Johannesburg. They have all pleaded not guilty.
Police in court facing murder charge after death of Mthokozisi Ntumba
Thuli Madonsela: Death of Mthokozisi Ntumba ‘the Hector Pieterson moment of democratic SA’
Police managers lift veil on officers behaving badly across SA
January 17: Klerksdorp magistrate’s court trial of Seun Joubert, 44, and Isabelle Francis, 35, whose baby died of malnutrition.
Couple charged with murder after four-month-old baby ‘starves to death’
January 17-30: Australia Open tennis tournament in Melbourne.
January 19: Nelson Mandela funeral fraud case against axed Eastern Cape health MEC Sindiswa Gomba and 13 others, charged with fraud, money laundering, contravention of the Municipal Finance Management Act and corruption.
Case against 14 in Nelson Mandela funeral scandal postponed, yet again
January 20: Former acting national police commissioner Khomotso Phahlane and former deputy commissioner Bonang Mgwenya asked the court to investigate delays in the R191m police “blue lights” case. The charges relate to a multimillion-rand tender which Vimpie Manthata’s company, Instrumentation for Traffic Law Enforcement, was awarded to fit emergency lights to police vehicles.
Phahlane, Mgwenya ask court to probe delays in R191m police 'blue lights' case
State failed to properly disclose docket in ‘blue lights’ case, ex-top cop Phahlane argues
January 21: The Bosasa Operations R1.8bn fraud and corruption case to resume.
Bosasa was involved in ‘grand corruption’: state capture inquiry
January 21-23: Winter X Games 26 extreme sports event in Aspen, Colorado in the US.
January 22-28: Special Olympics World Winter Games, postponed from 2021, in Kazan, Russia.
January 26: The case of the State Security Agency IT employee, Thuso Leonard Oesi, who is accused of trebling his salary to R174,000 is due back in the Pretoria specialised commercial crimes court.
SSA IT employee accused of trebling his salary lines up his defence
January 28: Flavio Hlabangwane returns to the Protea Glen magistrate's court after human body parts were allegedly found in a fridge at the Soweto home he was renting in November last year.
WATCH | Soweto man in court after second suicide attempt since body parts were found in fridge
WATCH | ‘They looked like a happy couple’: neighbour of accused in body parts case
January: The case against EFF councillor Anthony Matumba, who is alleged to be behind the fake @Tracey Zille Twitter account used to spread disparaging, racist and harassing comments towards black women, in the Louis Trichardt Equality Court, was postponed to January 2022.
Case against EFF councillor allegedly behind controversial @TracyZille account postponed
February:
February 1: Chinese New Year 2022.
February 1-5: The Judicial Service Commission is set to hold interviews for the new chief justice.
New interviews, same result: JSC recommends exact same names for appointment to ConCourt
February 4-20: Winter Olympics in Beijing, China.
February 5 to March 19: Six Nations rugby tournament.
February 10: President Cyril Ramaphosa will deliver his State of the Nation Address (Sona) in parliament, at 7pm.
February 21: Two Eskom employees at the Tutuka power station and a supplier are due in the Standerton magistrate’s court for the theft of about R100m worth of fuel oil a month.
Two Eskom employees accused of theft of R100m worth of fuel oil per month released on R5,000 bail
21 February: The Ace Magashule case resumes at the high court in Bloemfontein. The Suspended ANC secretary-general and his 15 co-accused have been charged with fraud, corruption, theft, and money laundering relating to an R255m contract for the assessment and removal of asbestos housing material.
I ooze confidence because I will win, says Ace Magashule
March:
March 1-2: Africa Energy Indaba 14th edition.
March 4-13: Winter Paralympics in Beijing, China.
March 4 to April 3: ODI World Cup for women cricket tournament in New Zealand.
March 13: Cape Town Cycle Tour.
March 29: Special Tribunal will hear Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and Transnet v CRRC E-Loco Supply (Pty) Ltd and Others. The sum of R4.2bn held in bank accounts linked to a locomotive supplier has been frozen, as the funds are believed to be linked to allegations of state capture or maladministration and irregularities to influence where Transnet awarded the tenders.
SIU and Transnet get preservation order freezing R4.2bn in bank accounts
March: The Passenger Rail Agency of SA says trains will return to full service in March or April 2022.
March 31: Driver’s licence renewal grace period extended to March 31 2022.
April:
April 7-10: Masters golf tournament in Augusta, Georgia in the US.
April 11: The five men implicated in the murder of Bafana Bafana captain Senzo Meyiwa will go on trial.
Safety of nine witnesses in Senzo Meyiwa trial will be protected: state
‘He will never be OK again’: 7-year battle to prove his innocence in Senzo Meyiwa’s murder
Senzo Meyiwa murder trial: a timeline of events
April 11: Date set for former president Jacob Zuma’s corruption trial.
LISTEN | I’m being politically persecuted, Jacob Zuma tells prayer meeting
Zuma trial postponed as defence and state medical teams discuss health prognosis
April 16-17: Two Oceans Marathon
May:
May 9-13: The R1.9m New Vosloorus Hospital Taxi Rank trial in the matter between the SIU and Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality v Kubwa Kazi Construction and nine others will sit at the Special Tribunal.
May 19-22: US PGA golf tournament in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
May 22 to June 5: French Open tennis tournament in Paris, France.
May 28: Uefa Champions League soccer tournament final in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
June:
June 16-19: US Open golf tournament in Massachusetts.
June 27 to July 10: Wimbledon tennis tournament in London, England.
July:
July: Former eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede’s corruption trial tentatively set for July. Gumede and her 21 co-accused appeared on charges of fraud, corruption, money laundering and racketeering linked to a Durban Solid Waste management tender worth more than R430m.
Hawks rearrest eThekwini official and wife in ongoing R430m Durban Solid Waste tender saga
July 1: Aarto Points Demerit System comes online.
Outa asks Mbalula to rethink deadline for renewing driving licences amid backlog, inefficiencies
AA calls for Aarto implementation to be halted
July 1-24: Tour de France cycling race.
July 9-17: One year on: Civil unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. Sparked by the incarceration of former president Jacob Zuma for failing to testify at the state capture inquiry. The protests soon turned into violent looting and riots, said to be the most violence the country has seen since the end of apartheid.
July unrest 'planned at high political level', says Abahlali baseMjondolo
July 14-17: British Open golf tournament in Fife, Scotland.
July 15-24: IAAF World Championships athletics competition in Oregon, US.
July 28 to August 8: Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.
August:
August 28: Comrades Marathon.
Comrades Marathon centennial race scheduled for late August next year
August 29 to September 11: US Open tennis tournament.
September:
September 9-11: Rugby World Cup Sevens in Cape Town.
October:
October 15 to November 19: Rugby League World Cup, postponed from 2021, in England.
October 16 to November 13: ICC World T20 cricket tournament in Australia.
November:
November 21 to December 18: Fifa World Cup soccer tournament in Qatar.
December:
December 26: One year since the death of Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
TimesLIVE
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